Morning journal and courier., 1887-09-05
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM, Commissioners Report on a
 Chicago Case. THE IRISH NATI0NALISTS. The English Government
 Defied at Ennis. MAXIAAILLIAN'S CONDUCT. Continued Excitement Over
 It In Mexico.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

l The Way it Worked in Chicago
 Finding of the Commission-An
 Interesting Document.
 WASHINGTON, Sept. 4.-The civil service
 commission has submitted to the President | the report of it's ivestigation in April last of
 the complaint made by George A. Webster
 against Anthony F. Seeberger, collector of 1 the port of Chicago, and transmitted to the
 President by the Civil Service Reform league 1 of Chicago and by him referred to the com
 mission, charging violations of the civil ser vice law. The report consists of the opinion | of the commission, which is signed by Com- missioners Oberly and Lyman, a report to | the commission by Commissioner Edgerton and another by Commissioner Lyman, who
 confines himself principally to the testimony submitted at the investigation. The opinion
 of the commission as submitted to the Presi- ! dent says that the complaint of MT. Webster is in substance that he was compelled to re- sign place in the appraisers office of the Chicago customs district; that this compul- sion was exercised upon him not because he was inefficient, undutiful, insubordinate, dis honest or for any good cause, but because he was Republican and the collector de- sired to put a Democrat into the place occu- pied by him. In his letter of complaint Mir.
 Webster says that after receiving notice that his resignation was demanded, he called up- on the collector and was informed that no complaint had been urged against his off, cial conduct and ability which were excel lent, but that owing to great pressure there was necessity that vacancies should be made and that the collector at this interview said "You must remember that our party has been out of power for twenty five years, and you should be thankful for having been allowed to stay two years under Democratic administration"
 Webster the opinion continues, was com pelled to resign. Collector Seeberger replied that his request for Webster's resignation had been made for reasons amply strong and that he had acted in strict conformity with the civil service law as he understood it. In his testimony before the commission Mr. Seeberger denied having said anything to MT. Webster that could be construed into a declaration that the request for his reslgna- tion was prompted by political reasons. "The reasons for his removal, /" said MT. Seeberger, "were in my own mind and keeping" and these he refused to state. The opinion ob serves that while MT. Seeberger states em- phatically that he did not say that Webster's resignation had been demanded for political reasons he did not inform him that such were not his reasons. In this connection at tention is called to the fact that MT. Webster was not given the benefit of the law which requires the heads of executive departments, in making reduction of force, to retain those persons who may be equally qualified who have been honorably discharged soldiers or sailors. MT. Webster, says the opinion, :. o1a1c cn11 passed the civil service customs e1amina- tions with an average of 90.5 per cent. and his conduct and capacity having been satis- factory during his probationary term, he was absolutely appointed. He was afterwards promoted for faithful and efficient service. His competency collector, ,Seeberger, does not deny. That Webster was an offensive partl- san is not shown by the testimony. In the affidavit made by hlm he swears that he was never politician, had never attended a eau GUS or convention as a delegate and but once as spectator. He adds: ''I have, however, a strong, honest political view, which have always had in Q quiet and gentlemanly way, keeping always in view the rights of others who might differ with me-"
 Strong political views, says the opinion, Mr. Webster had right to maintain and during the time he held public place it was his right to give at proper times strong ex- pression to those views. The opinion is not
 
 place in the civil service he must surrender his interest in the politics of the country. No good citizen will do so; and no degree of activity in an effort to advance the interest of the party opposed to the administration should, provided his partisan activity in no
 way interferes with his public duties, render insecure in the service of the government the position of any person who does not occupy place the discharge of the duties of which affects public policies.
 The opinion suggests that if the rule which obtains in the Treasury department re- quiring reason to be given for every dis missed or forced resignation were observed in the administration of the affairs of all branches of the executive civil service there would be no difficulty in arriving at speedy and definite conclusions upon complaints of the kind under consideration. The opinion criticises what it terms Commissioner Ed- gerton's evident attempt to justify Collector Seeberger in his refusal to permit the reasons he had for demanding MT. Websters resig- nation to escape from his own mind and keeping,''' and the position taken by the commissioner that rule acquiring reasons ! for such removal would result in the restric- ton of the power of removal is pronounced untenable. The practice as now in vogue in | the Treasury department and the Chicago I postofice is cited in support of this position. The opinion maintains that there is no cause why reasons should not be given for removals as the appointing offices occupied ! by the persons under his supervision. "He | is not the employer of his subordinates. He | is not 8 master. He is servant, a servant of the people and certainly good reason | can be given why he in serving the people should be permitted to ? hold Gin his own mind and keeping" his reasons for doing or | refusing to do any act in the performance or non performance of which the people have an interest. It is | unlawful to remove good man who is in | every way competent in the discharge of ! duty; but upon the removal of such 8 man | without good cause-and there may be good | cause even for such removal-the officer making the removal should be condemned" l Concerning the right of the commission to
 make investigations of the kind conducted by
 Commissioners Edgerton and Lyman at Chi cago, against the right and policy of which | opinion says such investigations result in the ! good of the service in the correction of ! wrong methods and of bad methods and
 sometimes in the disclosure of evasions of
 both the law and the rules. In conclusion the commission expresses it's dissent from Commissioner Edgerton's censure of
 civil service reform leagues and associations l and particularly of the Civil Service Reform league of Chicago and says its observation
 has discovered no purpose of any of them to antagoniZe the administration or to In any ! way embarrass it in the enforcement of the
 law and rules; on the contrary all such I leagues have shown most earnest desire to
 support the commission in the discharge of
 it's duties. Commissioner Edgerton in his
 report to the commission states that he was
 opposed to the investigation because in his
 opinion the charges which had been made ! were not of that substantial and definite